RobertC.PewII

The chairman didn't much like having his picture taken, but he understood that the ad he'd approved required it. However, when the photographer arrived attired in a sweat shirt, khakis and a two-day stubble, the ad people despaired. And then the chairman demonstrated anew why he was such an effective leader. He got up, gave the photographer a hearty handshake and a big smile, and teased him about his outfit. The tensions evaporated, and the photographer was able to take a picture that captured the essential character of a remarkable human being. On December 22, the chairman, Robert C. Pew II, breathed his last, at Hospice of Palm Beach County, Florida, in the company of his sons, John and Rob Pew, his daughter, Kate Wolters, and his dear friend and stalwart partner, Patty Stichnoth. He was 89 years young. The family he and his wife, Mary (who died in 2007), created and nurtured also includes five grandchildren: Travis, Cary, John, Chris and Dylan Pew, and one great grandchild, Alistair Pew. Bob Pew was born in Syracuse, New York, graduated from Wesleyan University, and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II and in the Korean Conflict. He signed on with Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Steelcase in 1952 as a manufacturing expediter, and led the company for 33 years. He became President and General Manager in 1966 and chaired the firm's Board of Directors from 1974 to 1999. In March of 1999, he was named Chairman Emeritus. Under Bob Pew's leadership, Steelcase became the world's largest producer and distributor of office furniture and furnishings. As important as far as Bob Pew was concerned, Steelcase became one of the world's most admired and respected companies. Bob Pew was a private man who supported many public activities, behind the scenes in Michigan, in Florida and, indeed, across the United States. He was especially proud of the Robert and Mary Pew Public Education Fund, which he and his wife started and sustained. If one could choose only one word to describe the way Bob Pew lived, it would be "understated." If one had but a single word to illustrate what he valued most, it would be "integrity." He once remarked in an off-handed way that "the spouting whale gets harpooned." In short order, Steelcase's grapevine had spread the boss's casual remark across the company, and every Steelcase employee and dealer took it to heart. For his part, the boss was amazed, mostly because they'd misunderstood what he meant, which was simply "don't spout unless you have something to spout about." Robert C. Pew II never ever spouted unless he had something to spout about. In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions to the
or the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, 185 Oakes Street, SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.